Joonmyun is running late. Again.

He pushes through the doors of Ddori Coffee just as the clock strikes nine, which means he is now officially late for work. But caffeine and bagel addictions take precedence over punctuality on Monday mornings.

To top it all off, he has yet another meeting with Sehun’s principal today. No, no. He has a mediation between his son and his son’s ‘mortal enemy’ and father to attend today.

“The usual,” Joonmyun says as he makes eye contact with his friend Chanyeol. Chanyeol is like his ray of morning sunshine that symbolizes his life-saving dose of coffee and an everything bagel on mornings such as this one.

“Sorry hyung, we just sold the last everything bagel. Can I interest you in sesame seed?”

…. Or not. Joonmyun groans.

“I don’t want sesame, I want everything,” Joonmyun whines, pressing his face into the glass divider like a sulking kid.

“Gross, hyung. Even Sehun doesn’t whine like that anymore,” Chanyeol scrunches his nose. “And you’re getting your face oil all over my clean glass."

“Of all the mornings,” Joonmyun groans under his breath before he gathers himself from his slumped position. “Fine, sesame.” He concedes moments later, as if Chanyeol wasn’t already well on his way to toasting a sesame seed bagel up for him anyway.

As he watches Chanyeol work on getting his coffee, he thinks about how this same scenario has been playing out every morning he’s stopped in for the past two weeks. “You know, Chanyeol, you could always make an extra batch of bagels in the morning,” he suggests.

“You know, Joonmyun,” Chanyeol mocks Joonmyun’s tone with his back still turned, “You could stop running late every morning and actually get here before they run out.” He turns to wink at Joonmyun before pressing a lid onto the to-go cup.

“You say that, but you don’t know what it’s like to have an eight year old to wake up every morning."

“Touche,” Chanyeol says before handing Joonmyun his coffee with a wide-grin. Joonmyun has never understood how Chanyeol can be so cheery at nine am. He also can’t understand how Baekhyun tolerates waking up to human sunshine every morning, because if he remembers his college days correctly, Baekhyun gives the grinch a run for his money even on the best of mornings.

“You know,” Chanyeol adds once Joonmyun has paid, “It’s the same guy every day that takes the last bagel. I could tell him about your single-dad struggle and see if he’ll reconsider his order."

“Or maybe I’ll beat him here!” Joonmyun suggests. He does not want to be a single-father pity case to some random stranger who has good taste in bagels. He has pride, after all.

Chanyeol only raises an eyebrow before glancing at the clock.

“You’re five minutes later today that yesterday. Do you really think that’s a possibility?”




Morning struggles aside, it’s going to be a splendid day, he’s sure. That fact is only confirmed as he catches the edge of the door to his office building a little awkwardly and pours coffee all over the front of his blue button-up. (It won’t be the first time he’s shown up to a meeting with the contractors with a coffee stain, nor will it be the last.)

He tries some of the breathing exercises Baekhyun had taught him a few weeks ago as he rides up the elevator to the fifteenth floor.

“Good morning Joonmyun,” his coworker Victoria greets with her signature smile before her eyes drop to the obvious coffee stain and her expression shifts to a grimace. “Another hectic morning?”

“You could say that. Some mornings getting Sehun out of bed is like waking the dead,” He retorts.

“Ah, to be young and able to sleep,” Victoria muses with a wry smile. Being best friends with his ex-wife, she’s known Sehun since he was in diapers -- even babysat him a few weekends when Joonmyun had to go out of town for business.

“You’d think his love of sleep would influence him to go to bed earlier, but he still hasn’t made that connection,” Joonmyun sighs, running his fingers through his hair as he attempts to transition into work mode.

“The contractors should be here by ten. Do you need anything before the meeting?” Victoria asks as Joonmyun makes his way towards his office.

“Any chance there’s a spare shirt lying around?"

“Unfortunately, no. You might want to start keeping one in your office at this point."






The meeting goes well enough, Joonmyun has more than enough charms to compensate for a soiled button-up. Now it’s time for the real battle that is to take place at Sehun’s school after lunch.

Sehun has been having issues with the same boy, Jongin, for the past few months. Of course, Joonmyun has only heard Sehun’s accounts so far, but his son swears the kid to be his mortal enemy. It began with Jongin teasing Sehun, but appears to have recently escalated into a full blown battle between the two young boys: a prank here, retaliation there, landing both of them in the principal’s office at least once a week.

Honestly, Joonmyun is hoping that meeting with the kid’s parent will shed some light on the situation and this will be the last time he gets a call from Sehun’s homeroom teacher explaining why he has after-school cleaning duty for yet another week.

When he arrives, he sees Sehun sitting outside the principal’s office, doodling some Minecraft sketch in his notebook before he notices his father and promptly closes the book and jumps out of his seat.

“Hey Dad!”

Before Sehun, Joonmyun didn’t know it was possible to love another human being so much. Even whatever he felt for Soojung pales in comparison to the joy Sehun’s smile brings him every day.

“Hey kiddo,” he says, ruffling his son’s hair and earning a grimace from the eight-year old.

“You spilled your coffee again?” Sehun notices as he pulls away from his father’s chest, reaching out to poke the stain. “Really, Dad?"

Joonmyun shrugs. He should be thankful Sehun didn’t take after him and actually manages to keep things clean. Despite only being eight, his room is the cleanest part of the house. Joonmyun was never one for housework. Sehun, on the other hand, had asked for his own cleaning gloves and mop last year for Christmas.

Sehun sighs before moving to grip his father’s arm, “Jongin’s already inside. We should hurry.” With that, Sehun tugs on Joonmyun, effectively pulling him past the school secretary towards the principal’s open door.

Joonmyun takes a deep breath and dons his most winning smile as they cross the threshold into the office. Sehun bows to the principal and Joonmyun follows suit. He doesn’t miss the scowl Sehun directs at a young boy he assumes to be Jongin. Jongin responds with a smirk.

No eight year old should be able to smirk like that.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Kim Joonmyun. This is Kim Jongin, and his guardian, Kim Jongdae” The principal gestures to the couch alongside the wall and Joonmyun’s eyes follow. He doesn’t miss the way Principal Lee referred to the man as Jongin’s “guardian”; when he lays eyes on him, it makes sense because Kim Jongdae looks entirely too young to be a father.

Kim Jongdae -- Joonmyun begrudgingly notices -- is slightly taller than himself. There’s a mop of something on his head that resembles a perm gone very awry. He’s lean, with what appears to be pretty defined arm muscles and kittenish lips that curved at the corners. Unlike Joonmyun, he’s dressed casually in jeans and t-shirt.

Mister Kim — Jongdae — raises from his seat to bow to Joonmyun, his lips curved in a cheeky grin as his eyes zero in on the coffee stain. Joonmyun squirms unconsciously under the scrutiny. He can’t tell if the guy is laughing at him or if he always sports such a playful expression. Even after only a few moments of observation, Joonmyun can tell Jongdae carries himself with a surprising amount of confidence. But, he concludes, someone would have to be pretty self-confident to rock that bird’s nest of a perm.

“Nice to meet you, Kim Joonmyun,” The man says, moving his eyes away from the coffee stain to Joonmyun’s face. He tilts his head a little before moving on to Sehun, “Nice to meet you too, Sehun. I’ve heard so much about you.”

The principal coughs. “Now that we’re all here, let’s get started, shall we?” He speaks with an authoritative voice that reminds Joonmyun of his school days -- causing him to quickly take his seat and direct his attention to Principal Lee.

“Now I’m sure you all know why you’re here. There have been a few incidents between Sehun and Jongin that even an experienced homeroom teacher like Mr. Do has been unable to reconcile. The most recent involving super glue and biting."

“Biting?” Joonmyun interrupts in shock. Sehun had told him that Jongin had superglued his pencil case shut, he made no mention of biting. He looks over to his son who he sees slumping down in his chair, eyes trained on the floor.

“Yes, biting. It would appear that after Jongin defaced your son’s pencil case, your son retaliated by, er, biting his ear.” The principal says and all eyes turn to Sehun.

“This is news to me,” Joonmyun says, hoping Sehun will elaborate. Sehun doesn’t even like to share water bottles with his own father because ‘ew germs,’ Joonmyun cannot imagine him finding another eight year old’s ear to be sanitary enough to touch, much less bite.

“It was totally icky,” a voice pipes in from the couch.



Snarky remarks from Jongin and Sehun aside (Sehun has obviously spent too much time around Uncle Baekhyun), the meeting progresses rather smoothly. Though little progress actually seems to be made between Sehun and Jongin, who spend most of the meeting scowling at each other while their fathers take turns apologizing for their actions.

After excusing the two boys from the office, Joonmyun is left alone with Principal Lee and Kim Jongdae. It’s funny, because even though their kids are the reason they’re both in the principal’s office, it feels like they’re about to be reprimanded.

“It’s not my place to pry,” Principal Lee begins, “but I know that both of you are single fathers, and I imagine you are both quite busy. I think that, in some way, that might be affecting your sons’ behaviors.” Joonmyun and Jongdae meet eyes and Joonmyun sees Jongdae in a new light, knowing that they share similar circumstances.

“With that in mind, I think it might be beneficial for both boys to see more of you two in their school life.”

A feeling of guilt washes over Joonmyun. As much as he wants to deny the Principal’s claims, he knows there’s some truth to the statement. He’s fortunate to have flexible enough work hours that he can keep Sehun out of daycare, and he knows they do have a good relationship. But he will also be the first to acknowledge that he’s not exactly a model PTA father, and half of the time has little knowledge of what’s going on in Sehun’s school aside from the homework assignments he helps Sehun with every evening.

“What are you suggesting we do exactly?” Jongdae questions after both fathers take a minute to digest the Principal’s claims.

“As you know, the school festival is this week and I think it would be nice if both of you volunteered your services for the evening. Just helping out here and there could make a huge difference in the long run, I assure you.”

Both men nod in agreement and soon Principal Lee is taking down their contact info to pass on to the event organizers.

When they stand up to leave, Jongdae extends a hand towards Joonmyun.

“It was really nice to meet you, Mr. Kim,” he says with a smile that looks more impish than serious. “I really hope to see you again soon. Hopefully not under the same circumstances, of course.”

Before Joonmyun can properly respond, Jongdae has already bowed to the principal and exited the office.



“So, why did you really bite Jongin? Was your pencil case that important to you?” Joonmyun inquires once Sehun is safely buckled in in the passenger seat of his SUV.

“No...He... he was teasing me about my lisp.” Sehun admits after a moment’s hesitation. His lisp has always been a sensitive subject, despite Joonmyun’s attempts to normalize it as much as possible. “He kept calling me ‘Thehun’ and the other kids were laughing at me.”

“I’m sure that didn’t make you feel good,” Joonmyun consoles, reaching across to pat Sehun’s knee, “What did you do after?”

“I… just wanted him to stop talking.... so I bit him.” Sehun says quietly, focusing on his knees instead of his father.

“And how did you feel after you did that? Did it make you feel better?” Joonmyun asks as delicately as possible.

Sehun immediately hacks from the back of his throat as his face scrunches in disgust. “No! It was gross. I probably got his germs all over and now I’ll get hepatosis!”

Bingo. (He’ll educate his little hypochondriac about hepatitis some other time.)

“So, if he teases you again, what will you do instead?”

“Disinfect him with Clorox Wipes!” Sehun shouts a little too proudly. Well, at least it’s progress.

Joonmyun and Sehun spend the rest of the ride home discussing new ways to describe something purple.







“He bit the kid’s ear, Baekhyun.” Joonmyun groans into his phone later that evening. “My kid takes more after Mike Tyson than me."

“That’s what happens when you let an eight year old watch the hangover.” Baekhyun chides from the other end of the line before he relays the incident to a curious Chanyeol. “But more importantly, I can’t believe that you got assigned Daddy Detention by the principal just because Sehun is turning into a little troublemaker.”

“Don’t call it ‘Daddy Detention.’” Joonmyun protests, emphasizing the words with distaste.

“Why? Too ?” Baekhyun chortles.

“How does Chanyeol live with that dirty mind of yours?” Joonmyun hears Baekhyun about to respond before he quickly cuts in, “On second thought, don’t answer that. Please.”





 

So maybe Chanyeol had a point about Joonmyun’s chances of getting to Ddori earlier than Mr. Bagel Thief. If his watch is correct, he’s nine minutes later the following Thursday.

His hair is more than slightly disheveled, and his shirt only half tucked in, but at least he dropped Sehun off at school on time. Priorities.

Once Chanyeol catches sight of Joonmyun walking through the doors, his lips curl into a wry smile. Joonmyun has known Chanyeol a long time, and that smile generally only means trouble… or embarrassment on Joonmyun’s end.

Joonmyun lowers his eyebrows skeptically as he approaches the counter. “What’s that face about?"

“Oh nothing,” Chanyeol says flippantly. “I talked to the everything bagel guy for you.”

“You really did that?” Joonmyun asks, not really surprised -- Chanyeol is willing to talk to anyone or anything: puppies, old ladies, plants --  but he is curious how it turned out.

“Yup,” Chanyeol says, that look still plastered on his face. Joonmyun is definitely afraid. “He left you a note."

With that, Chanyeol produces a napkin from his pocket and passes it to him over the glass divider before turning around and busying himself with something or other.

 

He almost wants to laugh. Instead, he pouts as he walks away from Ddori with yet another sesame bagel.





Joonmyun pulls up to Sehun’s school a little later than usual that afternoon. As Sehun climbs in the back seat he notices little Kim Jongin sitting alone on the front steps, presumably waiting to be picked up.

“Hey Sehun,” he asks once the boy is settled, “is Jongin always here so late after school?"

Joonmyun watches in the rear-view mirror as confusion washes over Sehun’s face and he glances over to where Jongin is sitting before shrugging.

“I guess? I think he gets picked up by the dance academy bus some days, but some days he doesn’t?”

Before Joonmyun can think better of it, he’s rolling down the automatic passenger door window and hollering to catch Jongin’s attention.

“Hey Jongin!” The boy looks up in surprise before squinting his eyes in the direction of Joonmyun’s vehicle, a look of recognition taking over moments later. “Is your dad running late?”

Jongin waits a moment, considering the question, before hollering back, “My dad doesn’t get off work until 4:30 on Thursdays."

It’s a little cold out, and even from the distance Joonmyun can see Jongin shivering in the fall breeze.

“Do you want to wait in our car?” Joonmyun’s fatherly instincts take over, even as he hears Sehun’s protest of “Dad!” from the backseat. It’s 4:30 now, so Kim Jongdae shouldn’t be too much longer, but he can’t let a young boy sit in the cold like that.

Jongin continues to squint skeptically at Joonmyun’s car before he shrugs and hauls himself and his backpack over to the vehicle. When he gets close enough he asks, “Are you sure this is okay, Mr Kim?" With a hint of shyness that Joonmyun didn’t expect, given how defiant he seemed earlier that week.

“Of course,” Joonmyun reassures at the same time Sehun shouts “NO!” from the backseat. Jongin looks with uncertainty between Joonmyun and Sehun, wondering who’s word to take.

“It’s fine, Jongin,” Joonmyun states before Sehun can raise any further protests. Even if he isn’t Jongin’s biggest fan, he’s not about to let the kid sit out in the cold alone for another half hour.

“Thank you, Mister Kim.” Jongin climbs in the back sea.

Sehun is giving his best death stare to the intruder when Jongin once again smirks, “Don’t worry. I don’t bite.”

Sehun effectively shuts up (and confuses) Jongin by shouting, “I’ll disinfect you!” before pressing himself even further into his car door.

Both boys promptly pull out their cell phones and begin to play games independently. Joonmyun considers trying to get to know Jongin a bit, but he also knows that a cold silence between the two boys is probably a lot better than the alternative.


Fifteen minutes of awkward silence later, Joonmyun catches sight of a distinctive wild patch of brown hair running towards the front steps of the school.

He honks his horn to get the man’s attention as Jongin begins to shuffle his way out of the backseat. Once Jongdae identifies the honking, he makes his way over to Joonmyun’s SUV, quirking an eyebrow in suspicion until he is able to make out Joonmyun’s face. His eyes crinkle with a pleasant smile.

“Nice to see you again so soon,” Jongdae says hollers once he’s within hearing range. He’s still slightly out of breath from running (and probably the panic of thinking Jongin had disappeared), but he smiles brightly none the less.

“It looked a little chilly out, so I asked Jongin to wait in our car…. ”

Joonmyun acknowledges it might be a little concerning to find Jongin sitting inside a random SUV. But it’s not like Joonmyun is driving some sketchy van that says ‘Free Candy’ on the outside. He drives a Lexus for goodness sake. Thankfully, Jongdae doesn’t seem upset in the slightest.

“Well, aren’t you a good guy,” Jongdae acknowledges.  “Usually I’m not running quite this late. We’ve been working with new artists at my work and it’s getting to be crunch time. I might have to sign him up for an extra day of dance classes or something…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Joonmyun cuts him off, “I’m the master of running late for everything, so you really don’t need to explain anything to me, or apologize.”

At this, Jongdae breathes another sigh of relief, looking up through his lashes sheepishly at Joonmyun. Joonmyun awkwardly mirrors the expression as an equally awkward silence overtakes them.

“So I guess I’ll see you at the school festival tomorrow, Mr. Kim?” Jongdae finally asks with a hopeful glint in his eyes. Joonmyun can’t help but wonder if Jongdae’s tone is naturally flirtatious or if he’s doing it on purpose.

“Just ‘Joonmyun’ is fine. And I’m looking forward to it.” He stutters. Jongdae has a really nice smile, he decides. He’d like to see more of it, maybe.

“Just wait until you see the outfits Mr. Do chose for them,” Jongdae adds with a wink as Jongin rounds the car to stand beside his father. Joonmyun isn’t sure what to make of the statement, but it makes him all the more excited for the following evening.

“Thank you again Mister Kim!” Jongin shouts before running towards what Joonmyun assumes to be Jongdae’s car. Jongdae gives a final wave before joining his son.

Joonmyun is too distracted with watching Jongdae go with a curious fascination that he misses Sehun wiping the spot where Jongin had been sitting with a baby wipe.


 

Joonmyun really doesn’t want to get used to walking in to Chanyeol making that face every morning. But, he figures it’s what he gets for running late yet again. Chanyeol doesn’t even greet him before passing him the napkin in his pocket and grabbing a sesame bagel from the rack and throwing it in the toaster.







‘Daddy Detention,’ as Baekhyun so aptly titled it, equates to Joonmyun and Jongdae operating the snack stand before the school festival and during the intermission. Sehun had run off to find his classmates almost as soon as they walked through the school doors, so Joonmyun appears to be stuck with Jongdae for the remainder of the evening. Not that he really minds.

Joonmyun always thought he had an engaging enough demeanor, but he quickly learns it pales in comparison to Jongdae’s charms. Jongdae has little girls and grandmothers alike blushing as he doles out cotton candy and popcorn accompanied with compliments and winks.

Even given what little he knows of the man, it’s no surprise Jongdae a natural with kids -- which is something Joonmyun can’t say about himself. He’s pretty sure Sehun is the only child he’s ever actually gotten along with -- and he credits that to the fact that Sehun acts like an old man trapped inside an eight year old’s body seventy-five percent of the time. As such, Joonmyun is more than happy to let Jongdae handle customer service while he battles the popcorn machine.

His job would be even easier if Jongdae didn’t insist on sneaking popcorn every time his back is turned, his fingers perpetually at the ready to sneak whatever he can as reparations for their ‘forced’ labor.

During one such moment, Joonmyun catches Jongdae looking at him with the same assessing stare he had used the first time they met in Principal Lee’s office.

“Do you make a habit of ruining all your expensive shirts?” Jongdae questions after noticing Joonmyun’s eyes on him.

Confused, Joonmyun looks down at his shirt to find a giant splatter of liquid butter right above his belly button. He blanches while Jongdae giggles under his breath and passes Joonmyun a few napkins. Thankfully, Jongdae drops the teasing at that and busies himself with cleaning up the snack stand, humming under his breath all the while.

Jongdae has a nice voice.

The small-talk begins almost naturally once the hallway begins to clear out and the customer flow slows down. Joonmyun learns that Jongdae is a vocal coach at some entertainment company, which explains the constant humming. Joonmyun casually mentions that he’d like to hear Jongdae actually sing some day, and Jongdae responds with a wink and a ‘If you play your cards right.’

Joonmyun likes to think himself above being affected by the same charms that work on eight year old girls and grandmothers, but he can’t fight the slight flush on his cheeks.

Once everything is sorted, they end up sitting next to each other in the back row of the crowded auditorium just as the lights begin to dim and Principal Lee takes the stage to welcome the audience.

Sehun and Jongin’s class performance falls somewhere in the middle of the lineup, and as the third graders take the stage, Joonmyun realizes Jongdae was right: nothing could have prepared him for what he is seeing.

There, filing onto the stage is his little Sehun -- alongside twenty or so other students -- decked out in a neon disco suit, complete with a medallion and sunglasses. The sound of polyester and elastic blend squeaking can be heard as the children fidget and wait for the music to start, and it only makes the situation even more comical.

Mr. Do is more eccentric than Joonmyun originally thought (or maybe he lives for embarrassing children under the pretense of class spirit.)

Soon, the Bee Gees “Night Fever” begins to blast through the auditorium and the mass of disco-clad children start to move in some attempt at synchronized choreography.

While other parent’s are cooing at how “adorable” their children look, Jongdae is nearly in tears, snapping away pictures on his phone while Jongin and the rest of the class break out in disco moves with all the passion that uncoordinated eight year old limbs can offer. Arms fly everywhere as they attempt the hustle, and even Joonmyun can’t hold in his laughter after he catches sight of Sehun mouthing along to the lyrics while trying to keep track of his little feet.

Then there’s also the entertainment factor of Mister Do; who stands on the sidelines, dancing along to the choreography with a stern expression that does not at all correspond to the jovial passion of his movements.

It really is a beautiful sight, and he feels bad that Soojung will only get to appreciate a pixilated digital version and not the real thing. He makes sure to zoom in on Sehun for the majority of the performance so that she can enjoy it as much as possible when he emails her the video later.

After the class bows -- and receives a standing ovation for their efforts -- Jongdae falls back in his seat and wipes a tear from his eye.

“That was beautiful,” he chuckles, turning to Joonmyun, “I can’t wait until the day I get to show these pictures to his dates and embarrass him.”

“You’re horrible,” Joonmyun chides without a hint of actual malice.

“I’m a parent, we live for this stuff. Don’t lie and tell me you weren’t thinking the exact same thing,” Jongdae grins cheekily and Joonmyun once again notices the way the corners of his lips curl upwards. He continues to smile at Joonmyun until the fourth grade performance starts.


It’s not until intermission when the conversation takes a more personal turn.

“So where is Sehun’s mother?” Jongdae asks innocently enough as he ducks under the counter to grab more popcorn sleeves. “Will we be seeing her tonight?”

“America,” Joonmyun responds with a shrug.

“Oh? Business trip?”

“A business trip that has lasted three years,” Joonmyun says casually. He’s pretty used to Soojung’s absence by now.

“What’s she doing in America, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“She’s always been ambitious -- part of the reason we didn’t work out, actually -- and she’s from America originally. When the job offer came, she couldn’t refuse the promotion.”

“And Sehun..?” Jongdae presses, a bit more cautiously.

“They Skype once a week. He spends his school vacations over there with her.” Joonmyun has explained the Soojung situation so many times, it feels rehearsed at this point.

Really, he harbors no bitterness toward Soojung. They were already divorced when she moved away, and even if he wishes Sehun could see more of his mother on a regular basis, he’s happy knowing that Sehun gets to spend good chunks of time with her when he isn’t in school. She’s diligent with the weekly Skype dates, and Joonmyun emails her frequent updates of Sehun’s achievements.

Jongdae is still nodding in some mix of understanding and thought when a group of fourth graders approach and interrupt their conversation to order copious amounts of popcorn.

“And how about you? No Mrs. Kim?” Joonmyun asks once the kids have been tended to. He knows Jongdae is a single father but he is curious as to why Principal Lee continues to refer to him as Jongin’s ‘guardian.’

“No, definitely no Mrs Kim,” Jongdae laughs to himself like he’s in on a joke that Joonmyun isn’t privy to, “I’m Jongin’s uncle, actually. It’s a long story. But I’m the parent in his life for all intents and purposes.”

“Oh.” Joonmyun knows there’s more to it, obviously, but he’s not going to pry.

“Yup. The KimJongs taking on the world together.” Jongdae sing-songs, reaching around Joonmyun before plopping a few popcorn kernels in his mouth -- for which Joonmyun punishes him with a playful shove and a “Back to work!”

Joonmyun returns home that evening with a huge grin plastered across his face, and not just because he took about two hundred photos of Sehun in a neon-yellow leisure suit.


 

“You know, for your two boys being two of the most quiet in their grade, they sure manage to get in a lot of trouble.” The Principal says without an ounce of amusement.

Joonmyun knows that, in a way, Sehun’s behavior is very much reflective of his parenting, and he can’t help but feel a little embarrassed that he is back in Principal Lee’s office again. It’s only been two weeks since the last meeting.

Jongdae doesn’t look too proud either as he shoots Jongin a look of disappointment. “I apologize, Principal Lee. Jongin knows better."

Apparently, the two boys had gotten into a paint fight during their art lesson that resulted in not only both of them looking like pint-sized rainbows, but Mr. Do falling casualty to blue paint shrapnel -- and Mr. Do does not take kindly to children ruining his immaculately clean suits.

Surprisingly, the usually smug Jongin looks genuinely apologetic, while Sehun continues his protests of “he started it!”

Principal Lee is obviously not pleased with the lack of progress between the two boys, so Joonmyun isn’t the least bit surprised when the principal volunteers both Joonmyun and Jongdae to work at the PTA bake sale in a little over a month’s time.

“We’d be happy to,” Jongdae says cheerfully from his seat, before sharing a special grin with Joonmyun.




Cleaning Sehun of all the paint turns out to be more of a chore than Joonmyun originally conceived. By the time Sehun no longer looks like a 3D Pollock painting -- his clothes still soaking in the bathtub -- Joonmyun is too worn-out to attempt to cook dinner.

Instead, he orders delivery and the pair set up camp around the coffee table with take out containers splayed out everywhere.

There’s some crime drama playing in the background but Joonmyun isn’t really paying attention since Sehun is currently engaging him in an animated retelling of his latest Minecraft adventures featuring lots of explosion sounds and wild hand gestures. (Joonmyun still isn’t sure what Creepers or Endermans are, but Sehun tells him they’re a “lot like Jongin.”)

It isn’t until they’re curled up on the couch later that evening that Sehun turns to his dad and whispers a sleepy, “I’m sorry I got in trouble today.”

Joonmyun scruffs Sehun’s hair a bit before chuckling, “I think you should apologize to Mr. Do, not me.”

“I will tomorrow.” Sehun assures with as much conviction as possible so close to bedtime.

“Good,” Junmyeon kisses the top of his head before sending him off to brush his teeth, reminding him to set his alarm a little earlier for the next morning since he has a Skype call with his mom.


After Sehun is asleep, Joonmyun dials Baekhyun for their semi-weekly catch up session (as if Chanyeol doesn’t relay Joonmyun’s life struggles to him daily already).

“I don’t get it,” Baekhyun says, “All kids have jam hands and crappy bowl cuts -- what could they really have to tease each other about so incessantly?”

“Anything that stands out,” Joonmyun sighs, “If a kid is a little chubbier, tanner, has an awkward laugh… kids tease each other about anything. Though I do think it runs a bit deeper between Sehun and Jongin at this point... It’s more like they fight just because they don’t know how what else to do.”

“Well you better get to the bottom of it soon, or the Principal is going to give you actual detention.”

While the idea of real detention is not at all appealing, Joonmyun doesn't necessarily object to spending more time at Sehun’s school… or with Jongdae.




 

Joonmyun looks up at Chanyeol in excitement as he grabs a brown paper bag from under the counter.

“Already paid for and everything,” Chanyeol says with a twitchy smile before handing Joonmyun the bag and disappearing into the kitchen.

Joonmyun is nearly shaking with anticipation, does this mean…?

He excitedly opens the bag and unwraps the bagel only to find a whole-wheat salt bagel… and another note.
 

Joonmyun can hear Chanyeol’s boisterous laughter all the way from the kitchen.





It’s the third afternoon of Jongin waiting in the back seat of Joonmyun’s car that he casually suggests to Jongdae that both boys just hang out at his house after school when Jongin doesn’t have dance lessons. Joonmyun is more than familiar with the hectic schedule of being a single parent, and he can tell that Jongdae is more than a little overwhelmed lately -- if the bags under his eyes serve as any indication.

“This way you won’t have to rush out of the office every afternoon,” Joonmyun clarifies, using his most persuasive tone.

Jongdae is apprehensive at first -- not wanting to ‘impose’ -- but Joonmyun is insistent. If anything, he figures maybe having the two boys spend some time together outside of school could help them see eye-to-eye.

The two exchange contact information and the following Thursday, Joonmyun unlocks his apartment with a sulking Sehun and silent Jongin in toe. The two sit down on opposite ends of the couch and immediately busy themselves with their own homework in silence.

Joonmyun wasn’t expecting them to suddenly become best friends just with a change of scenery, but the fact that they haven’t thrown any verbal punches yet is a good sign in and of itself. When Joonmyun over-hears Sehun quietly ask Jongin about one of the math problems on his worksheet, he smiles to himself. Baby steps.

Jongdae knocks with a distinctive rhythm when he arrives to pick up Jongin. He makes no move to venture further into the apartment once Joonmyun has opened the door, but he doesn’t hesitate to chat with Joonmyun while Jongin gathers his things.

Jongdae and Jongin leave with a cheerful wave on Jongdae’s part, and Joonmyun and Sehun get ready for dinner.

Joonmyun is almost gleeful when Sehun tells him the afternoon with Jongin, “Wasn’t so bad.”

It takes a week or so before Jongin warms up to Joonmyun and stops tip-toeing around the apartment. Once he’s comfortable though, Joonmyun discovers that Jongin is quite the little chatterbox. Much like with Sehun, it only takes a casual question for Jongin to launch into a series of observations that are not astute by any means, but told with passion none the less.

(“Mr Do looked out the window today, and he said it might rain and then, right during recess the sky went BAM! and rain starting falling everywhere. Mr Do is so smart.”)

Joonmyun also quickly learns Jongin has three favorite subjects of conversation: his dad, dance class, and Mr. Do.

The two boys are working on their book reports in the dining room -- politely sharing the eraser and table space -- while Joonmyun is washing up some dishes before he starts dinner.

Joonmyun is singing to himself under his breath when he sees Jongin wandering into the kitchen in his peripheral vision.

Joonmyun is surprised moments later my a delicate, but insistent, poke to his back.

“You’re like my Dad. He’s always singing too. You should hear him sometime, Mr Kim.” Jongin begins once he has Joonmyun’s attention.

“Is your dad a good singer?” Joonmyun indulges Jongin, though he already knows the answer.

“The best! Almost as good as Mr Do!” Joonmyun never misses the stars that light up in Jongin’s eyes when he talks about his father... or Mr Do.



What originally began as Jongdae hovering the door while Jongin rushed to gather his things, soon transitions to Joonmyun inviting him inside for tea while Jongin finishes up his homework or the episode of Doraemon on the television.

It’s nice to have a few minutes to unwind with a kindred spirit, even if Jongdae is far more smart-mouthed that Joonmyun could ever hope to be. Jongdae’s little remarks about his co-workers, Principal Lee, even Jongin, stick with Joonmyun and have him laughing to himself long after Jongdae and Jongin have gone home.

Jongdae also has a habit of gently touching Joonmyun when he laughs, and at first the touches caught Joonmyun off guard, but now he almost enjoys them -- leaving him feeling warm and uneasy at the same time.




 

Sehun’s Skype call with Soojung earlier that morning has Joonmyun a little more behind schedule than usual. He takes up Chen’s egg bagel suggestion and finds it isn’t half bad.

(He also follows Victoria’s advice after his favorite work shirt meets its end at the hands of his to-go cup of coffee while he’s rushing to catch elevator.)






“I think Jongin has a little crush on Mr Do,” Joonmyun comments, watching how Jongdae thoughtlessly winds the string of his tea bag around the mug handle.

“You caught on too?” Jongdae chuckles, looking up from his handiwork.

“Today he told me that he’s doing his science report on penguins because they’re his teacher’s ‘most favorite’ animal…” Joonmyun trails off, recalling Jongin’s enthusiasm before continuing, “He also told you’re almost as good a singer as Mr Do.”

“I can’t believe he has the audacity to think his homeroom teacher is a better singer than me! His own father.” Jongdae slaps his hand to his chest dramatically before he breaks out in laughter. His eyes are scrunched from the intensity of his smile, and Joonmyun might be staring a bit in fascination.

“Well, I’ve never heard Mr Do sing, so I can’t be a proper judge, but I think your voice is wonderful.” Joonmyun shouldn’t be the one blushing if he’s the one giving the complement.

“Thank you. And to think you haven’t even heard me properly sing yet.” Joonmyun doesn’t miss the ‘yet’ thrown in to the statement, and something akin to anticipation bubbles in his stomach.

As Jongin and Jongdae take their leave a few minutes later, Jongdae stops just short of the door to invite Joonmyun and Sehun over for dinner the following week as a thank you.

Joonmyun isn’t the only one who’s shocked when Sehun is the one who says, “That’d be alright.”





Sometimes, Joonmyun treats Baekhyun like a therapist. There’s a reason he’s #2 on speed dial. Today, he tells him about how Kim Jongdae’s smile is starting to make weird feelings come to the surface. Feelings he hasn’t experienced since he was a sophomore in university and saw Soojung laughing across the quad.

“You can call the kid a monster all you want, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have the hots for his dad.”

“Jongin isn’t a monster, I regret saying that in the first place. I think he just takes a lot after his Dad. And… I do not have ‘the hots’ for Jongdae.”

“Oooh, Jongdae. On a first-name basis are we?” Baekhyun teases, while Joonmyun groans. “Come on, you haven’t shown interest in anyone since the divorce. This is kind of exciting.”

“I barely have time to cook dinner every night, I definitely don’t have the time to date. Much less date the father of my child’s sworn enemy.”

“You make time. And I don’t hear you denying that you’re interested...” Baekhyun trails off, “Plus, aren’t family rivalries traditionally solved through marriage?”

“You really need to lay off the historical dramas, Baekhyun.”





 

Things might finally be looking up, Joonmyun thinks as he exits Ddori on a Tuesday morning. He hasn’t gotten a call from Sehun’s school in nearly a month, and he’s pretty sure Sehun and Jongin’s Thursday hangout sessions have something to do with it. Then there’s also the dinner at Jongdae’s this week, which makes him both anxious and excited.

There’s still no everything bagels, but at this point he almost anticipates the notes as much as he did his bagel fix. Almost. 







He spoke too soon. At around 11 am he receives a call from Principal Lee, requesting Joonmyun come to the school immediately.

Joonmyun speeds all the way to the school and rushes into the principal’s office to find Sehun and Jongin sitting on opposite sides of the Principal’s door looking, quite literally, like kicked puppies.

“What happened to you, Sehun?” Joonmyun nearly shrieks as he runs up to his son. Sehun’s knees are scuffed, his hair is in more disarray than usual and his shirt has more than one dirt stain. Joonmyun runs his hands over his son’s injuries before he chances a look over at Jongin and sees the tell-tale signs of a bruise forming around his left eye.

This can’t be good.



“Fighting,” Principal Lee begins once Joonmyun and Sehun are settled in his office, “is completely forbidden on school grounds. Sehun knows this."

“I apologize sir."

“Now, neither boy will tell me exactly what spurred on the fight. Especially after a month of such good behavior. But regardless of their intentions, both boys will be suspended for the remainder of the week."

Sehun looks like he’s about to cry, and Joonmyun is doing his best to stop himself from scolding his son right there in the principal’s office.

As they exit the Principal’s office they come face to face with a very angry looking Jongdae.

“What the hell is this about?!” Jongdae shouts, pointing towards Jongin’s black eye.

Of course, Jongdae has every right to be upset, but Joonmyun can’t get over the shock of actually seeing him so angry when they were laughing together only a few days before.

Joonmyun indicates for Sehun to continue ahead without him as he tries his best to remain composed.

“Look, I don’t know what happened any more than you do…” He puts his hands up defensively.

“Jongin has a black eye! What the hell is wrong with your kid that he goes around punching other kids?”

Hearing the shouting, Principal Lee emerges from his office to stop the screaming match, but not before Jongdae is able to see the flash of hurt that crosses Joonmyun’s face at the outburst.

That’s the last the fathers see of each other before Principal Lee gently ushers Jongdae away and into the office.






Once in the car, Joonmyun takes a firm grip on the steering wheel, attempting to calm himself down. He has to choose his words carefully: he knows if he goes straight into scolding Sehun, the boy will shut down immediately. Easing into the lecture will be best, despite his brain’s desire to raise his voice.

“Are you going to tell me what provoked you to punch Jongin? What happened to Clorox Wipes?"

Sehun refuses to make eye contact and Joonmyun groans in frustration.

“I’m disappointed in you,” He utters quietly and Sehun’s nose scrunches in an attempt to hold back tears. “But I also really want to know what happened. You two were getting along so well….” He reaches over to gently rub his son’s arm in an attempt to coax words out of him.

Sehun opens and closes his mouth a few times before he blurts out suddenly, “He said that his Daddy has a huge crush on my Dad and that they’re probably going to get married and we’re going to be brothers!”

Joonmyun is shocked at the outburst, his hand stilling on his son’s arm. Did he hear that correctly?

“Dad? Why are you smiling like that? He said we were going to be brothers.” Sehun sniffles.

Oh. Joonmyun gets it. He wipes the smile from his face and looks at Sehun seriously.

“That’s no reason to punch him, Sehun." Joonmyun says delicately.

“I can’t be Jongin’s brother dad! He’s my sworn enemy!”

Joonmyun sighs gently, “I understand why you’re frustrated, Sehun. But do you really still feel that way about Jongin, even after all the time you’ve spent together? Is he really that bad?”

“He’s not…that bad… he’s actually pretty good at Minecraft.”

Joonmyun knows that’s probably the closest he’ll get to hearing Sehun say he doesn’t hate Jongin, so he smiles down at Sehun before smoothing his hair.

“See? Maybe you should apologize to him when you see him on Monday,” Joonmyun suggests as delicately as possible. “I know you were upset, but you might have hurt his feelings too.”

Sehun nods reluctantly, still sniffling a little. Joonmyun gives him one last encouraging pat before starting the engine and driving them home.

They’ll talk about Sehun’s punishment after dinner.






His phone lights up later that night — long after Sehun has been sent to his room for the evening — and Kim Jongdaeflashes across the screen.

Joonmyun shouldn’t be nervous to answer a phone call. Their exchange that afternoon had been less than pleasant, add on to that Sehun’s (well, Jongin’s) accusations, and Junmyeon can’t help the slight nervous tremble of his fingertips as he accepts the call.

“Hello?”

He’s half expecting Jongdae to continue the argument where they left off before Principal Lee broke up the shouting match, but instead he’s greeted with a quiet “Hello” on the other end of the line.

“I wanted to call and apologize for today. I had no right to act the way I did. I was just… frustrated with the situation, not you.”

Joonmyun releases a breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding.

“I understand. Apology accepted. I was just as surprised with Sehun’s behaviour, honestly.”

“That’s still no excuse for my behaving like a third grader myself,” Jongdae laughs bitterly. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be. When it comes to your kid, it’s much easier to get worked up. Believe me, I know.” He almost ventures to anecdotally tell Jongdae about how he referred to Jongin as a little monster for weeks, but ultimately decides against it. Things seem fragile enough already.

The line goes quiet for moment as both men awkwardly try to figure out where to go next.

“So I guess we might have to re-schedule that dinner Friday then...” Joonmyun offers, hoping he doesn’t sound as disappointed as he feels by that statement.

“Well,” Jongdae begins on the other end, and Joonmyun can almost hear the coy smile beginning to take shape on his lips, “We could still have dinner without the kids? You know, give them time to cool off and everything.”

Joonmyun gulps.  “Ha, yeah. Single-dad night out." Joonmyun suddenly feels more nervous than when he accepted the phone call.







 

Maybe I’m serious about wanting to meet you. Your friend tells me you’re handsome. I’d buy you a bagel...

-  Chen

Despite Joonmyun’s repeated reminder to himself that “it’s not a date,” he’s still a nervous wreck all day just thinking about his dinner with Jongdae that evening.








“Jongin has a pretty big thing for Pororo. I’m half convinced that anthropomorphic penguin is the reason he has goo-goo eyes for Mr. Do. There’s no denying they resemble one another.” Jongdae rants as he twirls his pasta around his fork.

‘Single Dads’ Night Out’ is going smoothly so far. Sehun is at Uncle Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s for the evening, and Joonmyun is doing his best not to think about which new swear word will be added to his vernacular this time.

Jongdae is more than enough distraction though, especially when he looks so… handsome. The disastrous perm is still very much present, but he’s traded his usual khakis and t-shirt for a dress shirt and slacks, and for the first time in a few weeks he looks well rested.

The two exchange healthy banter while they pick away at their food. It isn’t until the plates have been cleared -- and Jongdae is contemplating dessert -- that Joonmyun quietly voices a question that has been bothering him for weeks.

“Does Jongin know that you’re not his biological father?”

Jongdae looks up from the menu with a warm smile. “He knows.”

“Oh,” Joonmyun eloquently says. “I just noticed he calls you ‘Dad’ and everything, but you said he was your nephew and…”

“I’ve been the one taking care of him since he was two. Calling me Dad felt natural for both of us, even if he knows I’m not his real father.” Jongdae says matter of factly.

Joonmyun hesitates for a moment. “Can I ask what happened to his birth parents?”

Jongdae nods somewhat sadly as he readjusts himself in his seat, completely disregarding the dessert menu. He draws a heavy breath.

“When Jongin was two they passed in a car accident,” Joonmyun’s throat constricts, watching the pained expression that Jongdae now sports. “I didn’t think much of it when my sister asked if I would be willing to be his guardian in her will in the event of their death back when Jongin was born. Of course, no one ever expects that they will actually lose someone they love so suddenly…”

“I’m so sorry,” Joonmyun offers when Jongdae trails off, reaching his hand across the table to place over Jongdae’s. It’s the least comfort he can offer for bringing up something so obviously upsetting to Jongdae.

“You don’t have to apologize. I’ve come to terms with it. I… I miss my sister every day -- and nothing could ever make up for losing her -- but I will never regret having the opportunity to raise Jongin. He’s been my world for the past six years... She’s gone, but I still see so much of her in him everyday. She loved to dance too, you know.”

When Jongdae finally smiles, Joonmyun feels a little less guilty about bringing it up.

“It’s not easy doing it alone, as I’m sure you know. But seeing him smile and grow up is well worth it. Even if he lands me on Principal Lee’s naughty list every now and then…” Jongdae chuckles.

You don’t have to do it all alone, Joonmyun finds himself thinking, though he doesn’t verbalize the thought. Instead, he gives Jongdae’s hand one final squeeze.

“Thank you for telling me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.” He says quietly before picking up the forgotten dessert menu. “Do you still have room for dessert?”

Jongdae smirks, “Are you only ordering dessert because you know I’m paying?”



They say goodbye in the parking lot, and Joonmyun is more than a little breathless after Jongdae pulls him into a tight hug and quietly whispers “Thank you for tonight,” in his ear.

The warmth of Jongdae’s embrace lingers long after they’ve parted, and for the first time in a long time, Joonmyun also feels the warmth of a new beginning.




 

“Dad?” Sehun pipes up from the backseat on the way to the school bake sale.

“Hmm?” Joonmyun says, making eye contact with his son in the rear-view mirror.

“Do you like Jongdae the same way you liked Mommy?”

Joonmyun nearly swerves into the other lane.

“Wh-what would make you think that?” He stutters out, once he’s righted the vehicle.

“Uncle Baekhyun said that when he was watching me on Friday, that you were on a date with Mr. Jongdae. A date like a grown up date, with hand holding and looking at each other the way Uncle Chanyeol looks at him when he’s brushing his teeth.”

“I did go out to dinner with Jongdae, but it wasn’t a date.” Instead of confirming or denying that he is definitely maybe interested in Jongdae, he decides to test the waters a bit. “What would you think I wanted to go on a real date with him though?”

“Like the kind with kissing and hand-holding?” Sehun clarifies.

“I guess that kind, yeah.” Joonmyun chuckles nervously.

Sehun takes a moment, pursing his lips in thought. “I think it’d be alright. Mr. Jongdae is pretty cool.”

Joonmyun tries to fight the curling of his lips, but it’s no use. “You know that means you’d be seeing more of Jongin too, right?”

“Yeah,” Sehun says casually. “He’s not so bad either anymore. He stopped teasing my lisp and I still feel bad about hitting him that one time.”

“So you’d be okay with it?” Joonmyun asks, just to make sure.

“I like seeing you smile the way you do when he’s at our apartment. You look happy.” Joonmyun is beaming in the front seat, “But be sure to rinse your mouth if you kiss him. I don’t want you catching the rhinoceros virus”








Joonmyun arrives at the school with Sehun an hour before the event is set to begin. Jongdae is already being put to work, labeling the prices of various pastries, but he notices Joonmyun and throws him a shy wave.

Jongin also runs over once he spots Sehun and asks him if he wants to go play Clash of Clans in an abandoned corner. Jongin is swaying a little suspiciously, but Joonmyun chalks it up to the remaining tension from their scuffle the week before. Sehun nods quietly in affirmation moments later, and before Joonmyun can wave goodbye, his son is running off in the opposite direction of the sale booths.

Joonmyun pretends it’s the fact that he doesn’t really know any other parents in the lobby that causes him to immediately make his way over to assist Jongdae. They haven’t seen each other since their dinner last Friday. Jongdae greets Joonmyun with another warm hug. His hand lingering on the small of Joonmyun’s back just a second longer than necessary, before he’s back to chattering away snarky comments and instructing Joonmyun to not just stand there and to help him.

Aside from the few times Joonmyun catches Jongdae looking at him with a contemplative gaze, nothing seems out of the ordinary in Jongdae’s behavior. Joonmyun, on the other hand, feels like he’s emitting more awkward energy than he did when he was fifteen and still in braces.

He wants… he wants to talk to Jongdae. He wants to reach out and grab his hand the same way he had in the restaurant. He wants Jongdae to hug him again and to have his breath tickle his neck.

But the middle of a PTA bake sale is hardly the kind of place to initiate skinship with someone, especially if Joonmyun is unsure Jongdae returns his feelings.

The pair take turns teasing the pretentious names some parents have given their baked goods while they unwrap and plate the sweets on their assigned table. All is going well until another mother comes up, somewhat in a panic, and asks where the batch of homemade powdered sugar donuts have gone.

Jongdae and Joonmyun look at each other in confusion before shrugging. Joonmyun certainly hasn’t seen any donuts since he was put to work by Jongdae. Instead of looking for them herself, she asks the two fathers if they’d be willing to find the missing donuts because she has to make sure everything else is in order before patrons arrive.






It takes only four minutes of wandering around the area before Jongdae and Joonmyun find the missing batch of donuts.

Well, they find one quarter of a batch of a dozen donuts... and Jongin and Sehun covered in powdered sugar, tucked away in Mr. Do’s classroom.

Jongdae doesn’t even attempt to contain his laughter when Jongin shouts, “It wasn’t us!” As powdered sugar poofs out of his full mouth like a plume of smoke.

Instead of a lecturing, Jongdae continues to cackle, leaving Joonmyun to instruct the boys to go wash up (and informing them that the price of the donuts will be coming out of Sehun’s allowance.)

Jongdae and Joonmyun are left alone in the classroom. A wave of uneasiness overcomes Joonmyun, and part of him would rather don Sehun’s disco suit and attempt Mr. Do’s choreography than take the opportunity to figure out where he stands with Jongdae.

“Well, I’d say the batch is already done for. We might as well finish what the boys started,” Jongdae says lightly before picking up a donut and taking a huge bite, unaware of Joonmyun’s inner struggle. He then passes another donut to Joonmyun before giving him a thumbs up.

Joonmyun is momentarily distracted with how adorable Jongdae looks with his cheeks all puffed out. He raises the donut to his mouth to take a bite, but a question pops into his head before the donut reaches his lips.

“Did Jongin ever tell you why they got in that fight?” Joonmyun asks innocently enough.

Jongdae scrunches his eyebrows and shakes his head no, still preoccupied with chewing his stolen donut.

Joonmyun decides this is his chance. He’s had enough of Baekhyun (and Sehun’s) teasing. Maybe he’s been reading the signs wrong all along, but Baekhyun is right: Jongdae is the first person he’s been seriously interested in in ages. He shouldn’t let the opportunity slip by. The only struggle is actually verbalizing his feelings… which is something he’s never been good at. Hell, he confessed to Soojung half on accident while intoxicated at a frat party. This is completely uncharted territory.

“It’s kind of funny, actually,” Joonmyun chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck in an attempt to calm himself. “Sehun told me that he got upset with Jongin because…”

“...because…?” Jongdae echoes playfully, still happily munching away on the pastry, completely oblivious to Joonmyun’s nervous shuffling.

“... Because Jongin said his Dad had, and I quote, ‘A huge crush’ on me.” Joonmyun is amazed he managed to say that sentence without stuttering.

Perhaps he timed that confession wrong though, as Jongdae promptly chokes on the bite of donut he had just taken.

“He… he what?!” Jongdae asks between coughs. Joonmyun thinks he hears muttering of ‘that little brat’ also, but he’s more concerned with patting Jongdae’s back to stop the coughing fit.

Joonmyun lets his breathing return to normal, not forcing Jongdae to elaborate just yet. Eventually Jongdae recovers from his slumped over position and looks sheepishly towards Joonmyun.

“I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable” Jongdae says quietly, looking more than a little embarrassed.

“That’s not why I brought it up, actually,” Joonmyun says, confidence returning after he notices that Jongdae has made no attempt to deny the accusation.

“Oh?” Jongdae looks a bit more hopeful. Cautious, but hopeful.

“I’m actually surprised that you haven’t heard that Sehun’s dad might also have… have a bit of a huge crush on Jongin’s dad as well.”

Jongdae steps closer, mischief beginning to show in the curl of his lips. He’s entirely too close to Joonmyun when he whispers, “Did you just confess to me in the third person?”

Joonmyun wants to chuckle, but his breath is promptly stolen when Jongdae’s fingers gently begin tracing the back of his palm. The same warmth he felt in Jongdae’s embrace spreads up his arm and settles somewhere in his chest. He can feel Jongdae’s exhales on his cheek, and he closes his eyes to collect his thoughts.

“Maybe I did,” he says eventually, breathlessly, looking up to meet Jongdae’s imploring gaze.

That’s all it takes for Jongdae’s lips to be on his. It’s delicate, saccharine from the remnants of powdered sugar, and it’s perfect. Joonmyun pushes back with a bit more force as their lips begin to move together. He pushes out his tongue to trace the powdered sugar that outlines Jongdae’s mouth as his hand reaches up to card through Jongdae’s hair.

When he realizes that the tangled mess of a perm is not to be breached easily, he relocates his palm to the back of Jongdae’s neck. Jongdae laughs against his lips before they continue where they left off.

Joonmyun is so lost in the mess of lips and relieved giggles that he doesn’t hear the door swing open a few minutes later.

They jump apart when they hear a forced cough from the doorway.

“While I’m thrilled that you two seem to be, uh, getting along so well. I have to ask that you do not make out in abandoned classrooms when there are pastries to be sold.” Principal Lee says sternly.

The two fathers are ushered out, hand in hand, sporting equally red faces and sheepish grins.








 

For the first time in what feels like years, Joonmyun is able to taste the magnificence that is one of Chanyeol’s everything bagels. Chanyeol swears he sees a single tear fall down Joonmyun’s cheek as he snaps pictures on his phone to send to Baekhyun.

“Sometimes hyung, you make this face where I can’t tell if you’re smiling, crying or constipated.” Chanyeol teases, switching his phone to video mode.

“Shut up.” Joonmyun grumbles, mouth still full.



“So I’ll see you tonight?” Chanyeol asks after the emotional reunion of man and bagel. “Baekhyun tells me you’re bringing a date?” He adds with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

“Yup!” Joonmyun sing songs, still on cloud nine. “And his son. So there'll be four of us in total.”

“Hey Joonmyun!” Chanyeol hollers just as Joonmyun is about to exit. Joonmyun turns around. “You seem really happy today, and I know it’s not just because of the bagel. It’s really nice to see.”

Joonmyun leaves with an even bigger smile on his face. Chanyeol is right, he is really happy. The happiest he’s been in months. His son is seemingly staying out of trouble, he’s found an ally and more in Jongdae (who he had his first ‘official’ date with the evening before), and he actually woke up before his alarm this morning… things are looking up.







Joonmyun, Jongdae, and their boys show up at Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s together later that evening. The boys had spent the car ride animatedly talking about Pokemon and not fighting, which elevated Joonmyun’s mood all the more.

He’s sure that Jongdae will hit it off with Chanyeol and Baekhyun, because Jongdae can get along with anyone. The only thing he is even remotely worried about are all the embarrassing college tales Baekhyun is always more than willing to share...

They’re greeted by Chanyeol at the door. Instead of a usual greeting, Chanyeol’s eyes widen in shock as his eyes shift between Joonmyun and Jongdae. Then -- much to Joonmyun’s horror -- Chanyeol bursts into laughter. (Jongdae’s perm isn’t that bad right?)

“Oh this is too good,” Chanyeol finally wheezes before disappearing back into the apartment, presumably to tell Baekhyun whatever it is he’s hyperventilating about.

Joonmyun is more than a little confused and Jongdae’s face is scrunched in concentration, his head titled to the side.

“You know the Ddori coffee guy?” He asks Joonmyun.

“Unfortunately, he’s my best friend's partner. They’re kind of a package deal. I have no idea what’s gotten into him tonight, though. He’s not usually that strange... You go to Ddori too?" Joonmyun adds as an afterthought.

“Every morning!” Jongdae beams. “Best everything bagel in town!”

Chanyeol and Baekhyun return just in time to watch the realization flash across Joonmyun’s face.

“Nice to see you again, Chen.” Chanyeol says as Sehun attempts to close his father’s gaping jaw.

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A/N
surpise, suprise. I wrote suchen for critcap. The bagels really should have given me away. Y'all know how i feel about breakfast. // a pile of pancakes beside me// no one will love you like i do.

I had a lot of fun writing this fic. and it will probably be the only time i write kids! anything, so....

Thank you for reading (here or on criticap)! Comments make me smile.....

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